Sword Lily
by leo0821
Summary: Being a ninja often brought a short life and often young marriages. This is the story of the love Minato Namikaze lost before marrying Kushina, of a ninja who loved her village so much she was willing to sacrifice everything. The story of one who very being was like her favorite the Sword Lily flower strength of character, faithfulness sincerity and integrity and to never give up.
1. Chapter 1

"Were here." The ninja spoke leading the young Uzumaki into the village by the hand, nervously she stared up at the large village she would be living at now, and it scared her.

"Don't worry I'm by your side." Another young girl, who looked quite alike smiled reassuringly and nudged their shoulders together, she smiled and the other followed gladly to not be doing this by herself.

"Come on Kushina, Ashina." The older ninja spoke.

Both girls looked at the new village both with different degrees of interest, truth be told Ashina was just as scared as her best friend but for her friend's sake she wasn't going to let it show. After all, she wasn't the one who had been brought to become the next jinchikii. Both girls looked nearly identical, both with the same crimson red hair nearly the same size, but the biggest difference was in their eyes. Kushina's were a beautiful lavender, but Ashina's were a beautiful rich orange gold. Linking her arm with Kushina's she smiled again and felt her friend relax.

Several weeks later when both girls had become comfortable in the village and the ceremony for the nine tails was performed both of them began classes at the ninja academy.

"We have new students. Introduce yourselves please." The teacher asked nicely. When a few people in the class began to laugh and point at their hair.

"What's with that color, it's ridiculous!" the rest of the class joined in.

"I'm Kushina Uzumaki, and I'm going to be the first female Hokage this village has seen! Ya known!" Kushina shouted out spurred on by her nerves and anger. More laughter and accusations, by this point Ashina who had been standing beside her with arms crossed behind her head dropped them to her sides.

"My goal is also to become the Hokage this village can be proud of." A student said standing up, he had bright blue eyes and nearly yellow blonde hair. At his response, Kushina's back went up before she could do anything else Ashina spoke up.

"I'm Ashina Uzumaki, we are very distant cousins and if any of you bother Kushina you'll have both of us to deal with that's a premise." she replied glaring at the class who seemed to wince. "As for my goal's I just want to be a good ninja and protect those important to me." She continued still keeping a harsh eye contact with the rest of the group.

When the class finally released for a break immediately both Ashina and Kushina were surrounded in the back. The guys began to pick on Kushina insulting her slightly baby face and bright red hair and tugged on it. When they tried to start on her she glared and something in her gaze told them to back off but then they doubled their efforts on Kushina when one grabbed her hair and calling her a tomato that no one likes and could never be a Hokage, Ashina's patience snapped and she launched herself at him. Following her cousin's lead, Kushina began on the others.

"I don't like my hair either, and I don't like tomatoes!" she yelled as she punched the most annoying boy. Ashina released her hold on the one she had punched several times and grabbed Kushina before she killed the boys.

"I told you not to test us," Ashina growled at the boys who were laying on the ground black and blue. The blonde haired kid who she learned was named Minato laughed slightly and Kushina snapped at him.

"What's so funny!" surprised he looked away, but Ashina watched as his blue eyes slid back over to us and a smile graced his lips.

After a few more attempts on their part to humiliate us and us lashing back we were given different names. Because Kushina had more of a fire temper they went from calling her the red tomato to the Red Hot Habanero, she wasn't thrilled with the change. As for Ashina, since she tended to not only beat the offenders up with Kushina but slyly do some sort of prank on them afterward, got named with the Red Fox which she didn't mind at all. She adored the creatures and her family had a summoning contract with the animals.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been several months since the cousins had moved to Kohana but there favorite place to be was in the cherry blossom orchards no matter what the season. Ashina in particular, loved the place, spending 70% of her time in the trees relaxing or reading, Kushina often joining her. It was while they were playing tag in the branches that one of the bullies who's older brother was a genin ambushed them.

"Are you the ones always making my kid brother cry?." the genie said puffing up his chest like he was better. Ashina sent her best glare at the brothers. "You see this." He pointed to his headband "This means I'm a Genin ninja. Cool huh." He bragged Ashina rolled her eyes.

"All I see is a fat forehead." she shot back making the genin's eyes narrow.

"I have to teach anyone who bullies my kid brother a lesson." He cracked his knuckles and Ashina and Kushina both braced themselves, Kushina dodged the first strike and both took off into the cherry blossom trees, running ahead to avoid a confrontation with the stupid genin, even thought they were both good and could probably have taken him, they decided it was best to continue running. Unfortunately, there planned retreat didn't last long as the genin followed them swiftly. Ashina watched Kushina push off from a tree branch beside her, Ashina tensed sensing the danger in the air and moved to protect Kushina, her cousin was all Ashina had in this world after all.

"Look Out!" Ashina yelled knocking into her in mid-air sending her in a different direction. Crying out in pain as the knife sliced through her right shoulder and cheek before embedding into the tree behind her. Surprised by the pain she didn't prepare to land on the tree her back slamming into it with all of her generated force. With the second shock of pain and having the wind knocked out of her she toppled to the ground like a stone.

"Ashina! Why you!" Kushina yelled launching off the tree she had landed on towards the Genin who had just jumped off his branch. Using both of their speeds she closed lined him in passing. Ashina wanted to cheer but as the stupid genin fell a cloud of smoke appeared signaling a Jutsu had been used.

"Behind you!" Ashina yelled as the genin stood behind her and used his hand to hit the pressure point in her neck. Kushina cried out and fell to her knees only to have her hair pulled.

"Stupid you can't even recognize a substitution Jutsu! You're still just a kid!"

"Kushina!" Ashina yelled getting to her feet only to fall back down as her head spun from both lack of oxygen and the fall.

The genin laughed, "Hair like your guys is ugly!" he laughed with his little brother.

"Serves you right!" the little brother laughed before stopping abruptly as Kushina began to cry, as soon as those first tears slipped down her face anger overwhelmed Ashina, how dare they!

"I- I don't like my hair either!" Kushina yelled yanking away from the genin ripping her hair in the process. Finally, Ashina surged to her feet and ran, she kicked the genin in the face hard and he fell to the ground, landing on him she continued to attack him.

"You made Kushina cry. You'll pay!" she yelled taking her anger out on the little brother.

"But even with hair like this, I'm still me!" Kushina yelled continuing to punch the older kid. Before finally standing up breathing heavily, Ashina followed suit continuing to glare at the siblings.

"Outsiders!" he yelled tossing Kushina's ripped strands of hair and rocks at them as he stood up. Ashina yelped in pain when the rock collided with her injured shoulder. Kushina looked shell-shocked at the brother's accusation. "As if an outsider can become Hokage!" he yelled Kushina looked sad as the pair of bullies left limping. In pain and still dizzy, she crouched onto the ground supporting Ashina's arm.

"Ashina!" she asked in worry, glancing up Ashina's eyes caught sight of Minato standing in one of the trees looking pensive and worried. Kushina followed her gaze turning she glared at the boy.

"You're not going to help just because were outsiders!" she yelled in outrage. Ashina watched as his face changed abruptly with surprise.

"I- but he stopped when she yelled again.

"I bet you agree with them too!" turning away and bending to help her cousin up, Ashina glanced back clearly that had not been what he was thinking when he didn't come to help but he was already gone.

Months passed and it continued to be just the two of them against the rest of their year. Unlike Kushina Ashina didn't think Minato was a bad person, thanks to that day it was much easier to tell Ashina and Kushina apart since Ashina's cheek now bore an impressive scar as well as her shoulder.

It came to no surprise to either of them when the higher-ups decided they were to be put on a team together. They were ecstatic though their third teammate didn't agree, he was scared witless. Ashina and Kushina spent months going on missions mostly D- ranked and over time there third member of the team became a friend as well. His name was Hiro Inuzuka and his ninken partner was Renji a wolf mix of some kind. Things began to look up occasionally Hiro would convince the cousins to hang out with others in their class, but things always got awkward as they all still looked at them as the outsiders. Except for Minato who smiled when they showed up but he never tried to talk them, not that they ever stayed very long.

Things seemed to come to a head when they were fourteen. As they headed home after our third c- ranked mission Ashina just felt something was wrong in the house. Too dark, too quiet and Kushina's parents and other household staff never greeted them as they entered the building.

"Is anyone home," Kushina called before they checked the kitchen but no one answered. Thanks to Ashina's connection to the fox families she had somewhat better sense and picked up the subtle shift in movement.

"Kushina run!" she yelled and two ninjas stepped out of the dark. Surprised and afraid she ran dodging around household objects and yelling for help, for anyone to help. Ashina shoved over a large bookshelf buying time. It was a couple of cloud ninja's she guessed having overheard the adults talking about some threats about kidnapping Kushina for her special chakra nature.

They wouldn't get her though not if she had anything to say about it, it was times like these she was glad they looked the same. Gripping Kushina's shoulder she spun her around.

"Sorry Kushina," Ashina smiled terrified about what she was about to do. Pressing both fingers into the pressure points under her jaw her eyes went wide realizing what Ashina had planned.

"Ashina. No" she said before fainting


End file.
